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Cubs claim Neal off waivers from Yankees

Cubs claim Neal off waivers from Yankees

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By Adam Berry
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MLB.com |

The Cubs claimed outfielder Thomas Neal off waivers from the Yankees on Monday.

Neal, 25, batted .325/.391/.411 with two homers and 29 RBIs in 72 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, primarily playing right field but also seeing time in left. The right-handed hitter spent four games with the Yanks this year, batting .182 (2-for-11) over two stints in the Majors before he was designated for assignment on Friday.

Neal was drafted in 2005 by the Giants, who dealt him to the Indians in 2011 in exchange for Orlando Cabrera. He batted .314 with 21 homers and 51 RBIs in 117 games for Double-A Akron in 2012, good enough to earn his first big league callup last September. Neal went on to hit .217 with two RBIs in nine games with Cleveland before signing a Minor League contract with the Yankees in January.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound outfielder owns a career .301/.377/.459 batting line with 170 doubles, 70 homers and 370 RBIs in 701 Minor League games.

To make room for Neal on their 40-man roster, the Cubs transferred right-hander Rafael Dolis to the 60-day disabled list. Dolis, who has pitched five innings in relief for the Cubs this season, has been on the DL since June 1 with a right forearm strain.

Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.